TankBud

Kendall's lamprologus

Lepidiolamprologus kendalli

Also known as Lepidiolamprologus nkambae, Nkambae cichlid

FreshwaterFish

Kendall's lamprologus (Lepidiolamprologus kendalli)
HblairH · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
7.8–9.0
Adult size
6.3 in
16 cm
Minimum tank
79 gal
300 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Hard
Rarity
Common
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Lake Tanganyika

Overview

Kendall's lamprologus is a rock-country ambush predator from Lake Tanganyika. It suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

Kendall's lamprologus went by two names in the hobby and in science for decades. The fish long traded as nkambae turned out to be the same species as kendalli, and FishBase folds both names under kendalli.

Caring for the Kendall's lamprologus

Give Kendall's lamprologus a tank of at least 79 gal (300 L), built around heavy stonework with real caves. Stack the rock deep enough to give it somewhere to disappear.

Keep the water hard and alkaline, at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 7.8 to 9.0. Feed frozen and prepared meaty foods. It takes pellets readily once settled, but it will always prefer something that moves.

Keep a single fish or a proven pair, since it is aggressive. Choose companions by size rather than temperament, because anything small enough to fit in its mouth is food. A pair will claim a cave and hold a wide perimeter around it.

It is a substrate spawner. Pairs form slowly, and that is what makes breeding hard, not the spawning itself.

Good to know

Kendall's lamprologus, Lepidiolamprologus kendalli, is a cichlid in the family Cichlidae. It wears a pale body broken by dark mottling, and mature fish carry bright blue spangling through the fins.

In the wild

Kendall's lamprologus hunts among deep rock piles along the southern shores of Lake Tanganyika. It holds still in cover and takes small fish that stray past.

Common questions

What size tank does a Kendall's lamprologus need?

A Kendall's lamprologus needs at least 79 gal (300 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Kendall's lamprologus need?

A Kendall's lamprologus is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 7.8–9.0.

What does a Kendall's lamprologus eat?

A Kendall's lamprologus eats frozen and prepared meaty foods. Once settled it takes pellets readily, though it always prefers food that moves.

How big does a Kendall's lamprologus get?

An adult Kendall's lamprologus reaches about 6.3 in (16 cm).

How does a Kendall's lamprologus breed?

Kendall's lamprologus is a substrate spawner. Breeding is hard because pairs are slow to form, not because spawning is difficult.

Related species